DC’s dental clinic needs better promotion

Many programs on campus are identified by something which signifies the program they study, whether that be the new Chronicle newsroom, a room with large tables covered in paint, or the dental clinic located at SW 107 by the Mr. Sub in the Gordon Willey Building.

Durham College students are welcome to a variety of benefits at the clinic, which range from basic cleanings to X-rays, if required.

While clinics off campus offer more restorative procedures, such as fillings and extractions, the campus clinic likes to offer preventive maintenance like cleaning and exanimations.

“In our clinic they do tons of experiential learning, we don’t really call it a placement, it’s in our clinic,” said Gillian Dunn, the coordinator of the Dental Program. “They’re doing application of all the theoretical knowledge and actually seeing clients from the community.”

The clinic also offers the students external placements, where the students visit local dental offices, general practices, specialty practices, and they do observational placements, working with other health professionals in the community.

“The cliental that we have at our clinic often are coming for one they need to have the time because their appointments are longer, and the other thing is often they don’t have insurance benefits, because it’s $30 as opposed to $100-300 dollars that they’re going to pay a dental office,” said Dunn.

But when asked, only four out of ten students knew the dental clinic was a benefit offered to students. “No, I didn’t know our school had one,” said Daniel Sidey, a Marketing student at Durham College.

Sidey said he was not aware the dental office had advertisements either because he never saw one himself.

More information can be found by contacting the clinic at (905)721-3074, reading the advertisements that the receptionists put in the Oshawa Express or by looking through the provided information on MyCampus.

“We don’t have specific events to promote the clinic, but it sounds like we should do more to promote it on campus,” said Dunn.

“Well, considering that I’m paying for it when asked what advertising the Dental Clinic does around campus for students. I want to be able to know that I have that service provided to me, advertising is benefical. I’m sure I’m not the only person who doesn’t know that the service is provided,” said Sidey.

All full-time students pay for insurance coverage as part of their tuition which they are allowed to opt out of. The basic coverage includes vision health and dental.

More specific plans like the Balanced Plan which covers 80 per cent of one examination and consultation and 80 per cent of one cleaning and one unit of polishing, or the Enhanced Dental plan which covers 100 per cent of one examination and consultation, and 100 per cent of one cleaning and two units of polishing. These plans range from $500 to 750 dollars.

Other services include the Enhanced Drug Plan and the Enhanced EHC/Vision plan which run for $400 are available for students to choose if more coverage in certain areas are needed.

Dental students celebrated National Dental Hygiene week the week of April 7.

The Chronicle is created and produced by students of the journalism program at Durham College in Oshawa, Ontario. The publication covers stories from across Durham College, the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, the region of Durham and beyond.